 Upon leaving office Cenarrusa was the longest-serving secretary of state in the United States.Cenarrusa is also the longest-serving elected public official in Idaho history, having held elective office for a total of 52 years.The son of Basque immigrants from Bizkaia and a native speaker of the Basque language, Cenarrusa has been a longtime proponent of increased autonomy in the Basque Country, particularly in Spain.